On the eastern side of the southern continent,
just before a large subcontinent covered in mountains, lies this
Imperial outpost. "The Empire "Gestahl""
plays.

If Tina is not in the current group:

『{ティナ}がいなければ
幻獣達を説得できない……

"We can't win the Genjuu over
if {Tina}'s not with us..."

The Espers wouldn't give us the time of day without...
{TERRA}...

And they leave to regroup.

If Tina is the only member of the current
group:

{ﾃｨﾅ}「……説得するにも
１人じゃ心細いなあ……

{Tina}: ...I don't feel comfortable trying
to talk them into this all alone...

{TERRA}: I can do it...
But why do I feel so wretched?

And she leaves to get backup.

『おかしいな……

"How strange..."

That's odd...

『帝国の見はりがいない…

"There aren't any Imperial lookouts..."

No Imperial soldiers...

{ﾃｨﾅ}「とにかく行きましょう。

{Tina}: Let's just go.

{TERRA}: Let's get this over with.

The lack of soldiers is indeed odd,
especially since the place was crawling with them earlier. It's
almost as though they want... nah, couldn't be. Anyway, the only
interesting place here is the basement of the lone building, and
that's locked, so just go on through to the other side.

封魔壁への洞窟
Cave to the Mystic Barricade
CAVE TO THE SEALED GATE

Beyond the outpost is a swelteringly hot
cave. "Another World of Beasts" plays.

Most of the enemies here absorb
Flame and are weak
against some combination of Ice,
Water, and
Holy, so take advantage of that.
Mog's Water Harmony tends to work well, though he may need a
few tries to get it started thanks to the terrain mismatch, so you
might have better luck with a Trident, optionally combined with
Wyrmknight's Boots for double damage. Gau should favor
the Chimera Rage for Aqua Breath, while Mash's Aura Cannon
works well against the frequent undead monsters. Tina and Lock
can use the Icebrand to good effect, as can Edgar, though he's
better off using his Machines. Wear Earth Garb where possible
to protect against Lifeshaver, a draining attack some of the
enemies like to use.

The third room has a series of bridges over
lava that periodically switch between two layouts. Watch the pattern
carefully before moving to avoid falling in, which inflicts damage
and sends everyone back to the beginning of the room.

Don't miss the Ultima Weapon in one
of the side caves. It's not especially impressive just yet, but
it does ignore defense, and the damage increases unusually
quickly with rising levels, as long as you keep your health up.
Unless used with Mug, in which case a bug causes it to act like
just a normal weapon, but with 255 attack power, which isn't bad
at all. Get it now, while you can. Step on the button on a raised
floor to open the cave, which also contains an Ether Turbo and
two Magicite Shards.

Other treasures of note include an
Assassin Dagger in the first room, a Kazekiri Blade in the
second, an X-Potion and Heiji's Truncheon in the moving
bridge room, and two Ether Turbos, an Elixir, a Genji's Bracer,
and a Magicite Shard in the large cave. Not bad, but don't try
the Assassin Dagger on the undead
monsters.

Hitting a certain switch drops a
Ninja on the party.
Beat him up. Instant death works well.

ち、ちくしょう…
大階段の下の広場にうまってる宝を
全部ひとりじめにしてやろうと
思っていたのに……

D-dammit...
And I thought I'd be able to keep the
treasures buried in the landing under
the big staircase all to myself...

N...nuts!!! I thought I had the monopoly on the stuff buried in the plaza beneath the grand stairway...

The large area below a long staircase
has a number of hidden items, mostly ninja scrolls. Walk around
pressing A to find them.

何かがうまっている…

There's something buried...

Something's buried...

Unfortunately, the messages for the items
found aren't entirely accurate in either version of the game. Even
more interesting is what isn't here. Several of the lines for items
found go unused, including one particularly unusual one:

「うつせみ」を手にいれた

Got [Utsusemi].

Got "?????."

Literally a discared cicada skin,
utsusemi also serves as the name
for a ninja evasion technique (as in the Ragnarok Online
skill Cast-Off Cicada Shell), suggesting that a ninja scroll
may have been removed or renamed during the course
of development.

Eventually, the party comes to the bridge
leading to the Mystic Barricade. The music stops as lightning
strikes dramatically.

Cefca:
Hyo, hyo, hyo...
It's just like Emperor Gastra
said!
Hand {Tina} over to those who defy the
Empire, give them free rein, and they're
sure to open the Mystic Barricade...

KEFKA:
U'hee, hee, heeee!!!!
The Emperor was right!
Let {TERRA} fall into your
hands, and you'd open the
gate for us...!

「……！

: ......!

......!

ケフカ
「つまり、われわれの手のう
ちで、おどっていたにすぎない
のだよ！
ヒッヒッヒッ……！

Cefca:
So in other words, you've been
doing nothing more than dancing
upon the palms of our hands!
Hee, hee, hee...!

KEFKA:
How does it feel to know
you've been working for us?!

ケフカ
「君たちに用はありません
私のために用意された、栄光へ
の道を開けるのです！！

Cefca:
I don't care about you.
It's time to open the road
to glory prepared for me!!

KEFKA:
Now I fear you've outlived
your usefulness......

「そうは、いかないぜ！ ケフカ！

: That's not happening, Cefca!

You'd better think again,
Kefka!

ケフカ
「おや、私とやり合う、おつも
りですね
そういう、おつもりは、いけ
ませんねえ！

Cefca:
Oh, dear me, you intend
to fight with me?
That is such a very bad
intention for you to have!

KEFKA:
Oh dear...
you wanna fight me?!
This is just dreadful!

「{ティナ}が扉の中に入る
まで、ケフカをくいとめるん
だ！！

: We'll hold Cefca off long enough
for {Tina} to get into the portal!!

Keep Kefka busy
until {TERRA} slips through
the gate!!

Combat ensues.
Cefca's combat script has
some interesting things, like randomly counterattacking and using
healing items after every few hits he takes, but none of that matters.
Whether by design or oversight, hitting him with anything
(even a healing spell!) will end the battle immediately.

あ！、
と、とびらが開きますですよ！

Ah!
Th-the portal is opening!

Look!
The, the door's opening!

End combat. Stop music. Tina glows a few
different colors, then turns Genjuu to glow a few more colors.

{ﾃｨﾅ}「幻獣たちよ……
私を受け入れて……

{Tina}: Genjuu...
accept me...

{TERRA}: Espers...
Please heed my call...

The portal opens, and the screen shakes
violently. Back to a combat screen.

...then collapses. Not so excellent.
Exit combat screen, and the music stops,
but the shaking continues.

『あっ！扉が！！！

"Ah! The portal!!!"

Hey! The gate!!!

A rockslide blocks off the portal.

『さっきの幻獣は……？

"Those Genjuu...?"

What about those Espers...?

{ﾃｨﾅ}「とにかく
飛空艇に戻りましょう。

{Tina}: In any case,
let's return to the airship.

{TERRA}: Look,
let's return to the airship.

The party leaves the room with the portal to
find a new passage that serves as a shortcut to the entrance.
There's no going back to the portal, since the party refuses to,
not that there would be any point to it regardless.

『とりあえず飛空艇に戻ろう…

"Let's go back to the airship for now..."

Anyway,
let's return to the airship.

Make sure you didn't miss anything. This
is the best time to explore the cave, and it won't be accessible at
all before long.

A representative of the others meets
them on the way out of the Imperial base.

If I'm reading the event script correctly,
the priority is: Lock, Cayenne, Edgar, Mash, Setzer. Since the
party must contain Tina and can therefore hold no more than
three other characters, that means Setzer will never fill this role,
since there will always be a character not in the active group
who takes priority over him.

『何が起こったんだ？

"What happened?"

What happened?

『幻獣たちが群れをなして
飛んで行ったが……

"The Genjuu grouped together
and flew off..."

The Espers flew off together...

『その後、帝国の人間もおびえるように
逃げて行った。

"After that, the people from the Empire
ran away too, as though terrified."

Then, the Empire's citizens ran off, as though they were terrified.

『幻獣はどっちの方向へ？

"Which way did the Genjuu go?"

Which way did the Espers go?

『帝国首都の方へ…

"Toward the Imperial Captial..."

Toward the capital...

『ベクタか……

"Vector..."

Vector...

The following lines appear in this section
of the game data but appear to be unused.

ケフカ
「地震……？

Cefca:
An earthquake...?

KEFKA:
Earthquake......?

「ヒョッヒョッヒョ……
やはりそうだったか！！

: Hyo, hyo, hyo...
I knew it!!

Uwa ha!
So, it's true!

ｹﾌｶ「ガストラ皇帝の
おっしゃった通りだ。

Cefca: It's just like
Emperor Gastra said.

KEFKA: Emperor Gestahl was right!

「な、何だ！？

: Wh-what the!?

What the!!!

「幻獣！？

: Genjuu!?

Espers?

ｹﾌｶ「くっ……
くっそー……
おぼえてろよ！！

Cefca: D...
dammit...
you'll pay for this!!

KEFKA: D...
Drat it all!!
I won't forget this!

『何が起きたんだ…

"What happened...?"

Something happened...

『わからない…

"I don't know..."

I'm not sure...

The Airship Blackjack

Soon after.

{ｾｯﾂｧｰ}「もう少しでベクタだな…

{Setzer}: We're almost to Vector...

{SETZER}: We're almost at Vector.

『あっ！ あれは……！！

"Hey! Over there...!!"

There! What's that?

Switch to combat screen.
"Metamorphosis" plays again.

{ロック}
「どうしたんだい{ティナ}？

{Lock}:
What's wrong, {Tina}?

{LOCKE}:
What's wrong, {TERRA}?

{ティナ}
「感じるの……
どんどん、近づいてくるの……

{Tina}:
I feel them...
rapidly approaching...

{TERRA}:
I can feel it......
It's coming closer and closer...

{ロック}
「感じるって？

{Lock}:
What do you mean, feel them?

{LOCKE}:
What do you mean you can
feel it?

Something flashes.

{ティナ}
「光った！

{Tina}:
A flash!

{TERRA}:
It was......glowing!

{ロック}
「なんだろう！？

{Lock}:
What the!?

{LOCKE}:
What's that?

{ロック}
「まさか……！？
幻獣……

{Lock}:
Don't tell me...!?
Genjuu...?

{LOCKE}:
It can't be......!
An Esper???

{ロック}
「こっちに来る！！！
{ティナ}危ない！！

{Lock}:
Incoming!!!
{Tina}, look out!!

{LOCKE}:
It's coming!!!
Watch out, {TERRA}!!

He tackles her as one flies past.

{セッツァー}
「今のは何だ！？

{Setzer}:
What WAS that!?

{SETZER}:
What was that!?

{ロック}
「{セッツァー}ふせろ！

{Lock}:
{Setzer}, get down!

{LOCKE}:
{SETZER}, get down!

He tackles Setzer as another flies past.
More pass by, and the screen shakes and turns red.

{セッツァー}
「げ 幻獣……？？？

{Setzer}:
G-Genjuu...???

{SETZER}:
Gulp......Espers......?

{ロック}
「どこへ、向かっているのだろう？

{Lock}:
Where're they headed?

{LOCKE}:
Where are they going?

{ティナ}
「おこってた……

{Tina}:
They were angry...

{TERRA}:
They were mad......

{ロック}
「……おこってた……？

{Lock}:
...angry...?

{LOCKE}:
They seemed......angry.

{ティナ}
「だめ……、行ってはだめ……
行かないで、お願い！！

{Tina}:
No... you can't...
don't go, please!!

{TERRA}:
No......Stop...!
Please, don't go!!

{セッツァー}
「それより、このゆれは……！！
さっきの、幻獣の……？

{Setzer}:
Never mind that, this shaking...!!
Did the Genjuu just...?

{SETZER}:
Forget that......
what's with this vibration?!
Is it from the Espers?

{エドガー}
「{セッツァー}ーー！！！！

{Edgar}:
{Setzer}!!!!

{EDGAR}:
Um......{SETZER} !!!!

「うわあああ！
かじが、きかねえ！！！

: Waaaaah!
The helm's not responding!!!

I've lost control!!!

Cutscene of the airship losing control and
making a crash landing. The party comes to on deck.

Most characters now have
new lines when not in the active party:

{ﾛｯｸ}「幻獣はきっと
ベクタに向かったはず……

{Lock}: I'll bet the Genjuu
headed to Vector for sure...

{LOCKE}: I'm sure the Espers were headed for Vector...

{ｶｲｴﾝ}「せっしゃ
あの幻獣とやらには武士の魂を
感じるでござる。

{Cayenne}: In those Genjuu creatures
did I sense the souls of warriors.

{CYAN}: I could feel the warrior spirits of those Espers!

{ｴﾄﾞｶﾞｰ}「どうにかして
幻獣の力をかりなければ……

{Edgar}: We must somehow win
the aid of the Genjuu...

{EDGAR}: Somehow we need to tap in to the power of those Espers...

{ﾏｯｼｭ}「帝国の様子が
気になる……
早く様子を見に行こう！

{Mash}: I'm worried about how
things are in the Empire...
Let's hurry and go take a look!

{SABIN}: Let's see what's become of the Empire! Hurry!

{ｾｯﾂｧｰ}「くそっ……
これじゃあ、とうぶん空の上は
おあずけだぜ……

{Setzer}: Damn...
For the time being, the skies
are out of my hands...

{SETZER}: Urghh!
For the time being, I don't own the skies...

{ﾃｨﾅ}「……幻獣たち……
おこってた……

{Tina}: ...the Genjuu...
They were angry...

{TERRA}: ...the Espers...
Something happened...

怒ってた (okotte ta,
were angry) makes far more sense than 起こってた
(okotte ta, had happened) for this line.

{ﾓｸﾞ}「…プー……

{Mog}: ...puuu...

{MOG}: ...puuh...

{ｶﾞｳ}「……ゥ…
{ガウ}……たかいとこ……
ほんとは…コワイ……ウゥ……

{Gau}: ...oo...
{Gau}... high place...
really... scary... ooh...

{GAU}: ...ooh...
{GAU}...high place...
Not good...don't like...

Again including some who can't even be
here:

{ｼｬﾄﾞｳ}「ここだけの話だが
ケフカはレオ将軍の命をねらっている
らしい。

{Shadow}: Just between us,
it seems like Cefca is after
General Leo's life.

{SHADOW}: I think Kefka's out for General Leo's hide!

{ｾﾘｽ}「ケフカはまだまだ
あくどい方法を考えているはず。
早く何とかしなくては……

{Celes}: I can't imagine that Cefca is done
thinking up vicious courses of action.
We've got to hurry and do something...

{CELES}: Kefka's sure to come up with another demented plan. We need to do something FAST!

{ｽﾄﾗｺﾞｽ}「わしも長年
生きとるが、あんな高いところから
落ちてきたのは初めてじゃい。

{Stragus}: I've lived many a year,
but that's the first time I've ever
fallen from such a high place.

{STRAGO}: ...I've never seen anyone so sleazy as Kefka.

{ﾘﾙﾑ}「幻獣さんは
きっといいヤツばっかりだよね！？

{Relm}: I'm sure the Genjuu are all
just a bunch of nice guys, right!?

{RELM}: I'm sure those Espers are all very kind!

Anyway, let's go take a look at Vector.
The airship crashed near Maranda, so head northeast to
get there.

Setzer has an unused line for this point
in the game, configured to display when speaking to him by the
table where the coin flip occurred, but he doesn't appear there
any more now that he's joined the party.

{ｾｯﾂｧｰ}「俺は飛空艇の修理を
しなければならん。
早く帝国の様子を見てきてくれよ。

{Setzer}: I've got to repair the airship.
Hurry and go see how things are
in the Empire.

{SETZER}: I'll have to repair the air ship. Go scout around and let me know what's happening.